Catholic Commentary on Leviticus 24

"Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually." (Leviticus 24:2)

The Lamps and the Bread of Presence

Two elements of tabernacle maintenance are described. The first is the lampstand: Aaron is to tend the lamps before the LORD from evening till morning continually. The pure olive oil must be kept burning regularly. The second is the bread of the presence: twelve loaves of bread, set on the pure gold table before the LORD every Sabbath as a lasting covenant. Aaron and his sons eat it in the sanctuary; it is most holy. The Catechism identifies the bread of presence as a type of the Eucharist: twelve loaves for the twelve tribes, set before the LORD in the sanctuary, the food of the priestly community in the presence of God (CCC 1334). When David and his men eat the bread of presence in 1 Samuel 21, Jesus uses the incident in Matthew 12 to establish his authority over the sabbath and the temple.

The chapter then addresses a case of blasphemy: a man curses the Name during a fight. Moses holds him until God's judgment is given: the blasphemer is stoned. The chapter juxtaposes the reverent care of lamps and bread with the severe judgment on contempt for the divine name: the God whose sanctuary is maintained with such meticulous care is not to be spoken of with contempt.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, the lamps burned before the LORD from evening till morning. The sanctuary was never dark. The perpetual light of the sanctuary lamp in a Catholic church is the continuation of this command: the presence of the Lord is never unattended, never dark, never without the witness of burning oil before him. Come into a church and let the lamp teach you who is there.

Prayer

Lord God, the lamps burned before you continually and the bread of your presence was set before you every Sabbath. Be present among us in the same way: continually, regularly, never dark. And keep our lips from the contempt that dishonours your name. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

24
The Oil for the Lamps
(Exodus 27:20–21)
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Command the Israelites to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually.
 
3 Outside the veil of the Testimony * 24:3 The Testimony refers to the stone tablets in the ark of the covenant inscribed with the Ten Commandments. in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps continually before the LORD from evening until morning. This is to be a permanent statute for the generations to come. 4 He shall tend the lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD continually.
The Showbread
(Exodus 25:23–30; Exodus 37:10–16)
 
5 You are also to take fine flour and bake twelve loaves, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf,† 24:5 Two-tenths of an ephah is approximately 4 dry quarts or 4.4 liters (probably about 5.1 pounds or 2.3 kilograms of flour). 6 and set them in two rows—six per row—on the table of pure gold before the LORD. 7 And you are to place pure frankincense near each row, so that it may serve as a memorial portion for the bread, an offering made by fire to the LORD.
 
8 Every Sabbath day the bread is to be set out before the LORD on behalf of the Israelites as a permanent covenant. 9 It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place; for it is to him a most holy part of the offerings made by fire to the LORD—his portion forever.”
Punishment for Blasphemy
 
10 Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite. 11 The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse. So they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.)
 
12 They placed him in custody until the will of the LORD should be made clear to them.
 
13 Then the LORD said to Moses, 14 “Take the blasphemer ‡ 24:14 Literally the one who cursed outside the camp, and have all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then have the whole assembly stone him.
 
15 And you are to tell the Israelites, ‘If anyone curses his God, he shall bear the consequences of his sin. 16 Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD must surely be put to death; the whole assembly must surely stone him, whether he is a foreign resident or native; if he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.
An Eye for an Eye
(Matthew 5:38–48)
 
17 And if a man takes the life of anyone else, he must surely be put to death. 18 Whoever kills an animal must make restitution—life for life. 19 If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.§ 24:20 Cited in Matthew 5:38 Just as he injured the other person, the same must be inflicted on him.
 
21 Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a man must be put to death. 22 You are to have the same standard of law for the foreign resident and the native; for I am the LORD your God.’ ”
 
23 Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him. So the Israelites did as the LORD had commanded Moses.

*24:3 24:3 The Testimony refers to the stone tablets in the ark of the covenant inscribed with the Ten Commandments.

†24:5 24:5 Two-tenths of an ephah is approximately 4 dry quarts or 4.4 liters (probably about 5.1 pounds or 2.3 kilograms of flour).

‡24:14 24:14 Literally the one who cursed

§24:20 24:20 Cited in Matthew 5:38

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